My PPF Journey

[Joey D]

Thought there might be others like me who are deciding whether or not to "protect the paint" on his/her car...so I figured I would let you all know what I'm doing and why. Maybe it will help others make a decision.

I recently took delivery of a Model S LR, Ultra Red. Like many, I then faced the question of to what degree (if any) should I protect the paint. My history with cars:

1) I have never installed PPF on any of my past vehicles (mine or wife's).
2) This Model S is the first vehicle I've purchased which cost more than $55K.
3) Historically, I purchase cars new or near new, and drive for 10-12 years.
4) The Model S will be my daily driver, including occasional 1000+ mile road trips.
5) I live in the Northeast USA...so there will be cold winters, road salt, etc.
6) This will not be a track car in any way
7) I like to keep my cars "clean" inside and out, though not super anal about it. This means (historically) regular washing at a local "car wash". Imperfections in appearance do tend to "bother me".
8) The car will be garaged when not in use.

I was on the fence about spending a few more thousand to have some amount of PPF installed. However, within a few weeks of delivery I my hood already developed a very small paint chip/nick. This has convinced me that just for peace of mind itself, I want some PPF protection.

After the typical research on-line and friends, I settled on an installer.

Auto Detailing New Jersey: Clear Bra (PPF) & Ceramic Coating

Premium Auto Detailing New Jersey. 5 Star Services: Clear Bra / Paint Protection Film, Paint Correction & Ceramic Coatings. Hillsborough NJ & NYC.

signaturedetailing.com

I will be getting the following services:

1. Basic paint prep (clean, one step correction, polish)
2. PPF (Suntek Ultra) on typical surfaces: Front Bumper, Hood, Head lights and Fog Lights, Front Fenders, Rocker Panels, side view mirrors
3. CQuartz Pro Ceramic Coating of entire car (PPF panels and non PPF Panels)

This seemed to me to be a good compromise between cost and protection price. Greg and his staff walked me through their process and options. They cut their own PPF, will wrap panels (tuck PPF around / underneath) where possible, and do not remove panels. (I prefer they do not remove panels) Some panels will have small visible edges at the corners, since the corners can't be wrapped "around." All makes sense, but the point is they make sure I know exactly what to expect before doing the job.

Not protection related, but I'll also have 20% tinting done on the rear windows and hatch. In NJ it is actually illegal to tint front windows and windshield to ANY degree...though many people still do it of course. Doing the rear will offer some UV protection inside the vehicle, while at 20% gives the "privacy glass" type appearance commonly found in many OEM delivered vehicles...including my past vehicle. I'm doing the tinting mainly or appearance reasons.

A few more comments:
1) SunTek Ultra should be a good choice of PPF since I want to enhance the Ultra Red paint / Glossy look. It has a 10 year warranty. The installers were up front and said to honestly expect it to last a few years less than that. They will deal with warranty work when the time comes assuming it is needed.
2) With the PPF I am committed to washing my car myself by hand rather than take it to a car wash. We'll see if I can keep to it...and I still have some concerns of how I will keep up in the winter time (freezing temps, road salt, etc.)

The car is in the shop as I type having the services performed. I'll post back with impressions and pictures in a few days once it is completed.

 

[dsc888]

I too live in the Northeast but north of you just south of Boston. I also picked up my 2023 Pearl White S LR in June and it was the most expensive car I ever purchased and I too wanted to protect it from stone chips. Prior to the S, I also never paid more than about $55k for any vehicle I have purchased and all were new or very likely used.

I did the same PPF areas as you but my shop used Suntek Reaction film which is one of the newer ones on the market with a 12 year warranty with built in ceramic coating. The only additional area I did was the area that Tesla PPF'd at the back of the rockers which was already yellowing from the factory installed film and which didn't have adequate coverage. I had my shop take both films off and install the film I was using and to wrap it into the door aperture and back into the fender wheel well to "hide" the lines better vs the OEM film. I had them extend the height of the film by 6 inches so that it protected more of the rear quarter panel based on the chips some members here have gotten. Go to their YT channel to see the benefits of this newer film. As for how long the coating will last, no one really knows since it's only been available for just a few years. But the clarity was incredible and nearly indistinguishable from looking at the OEM paint.

I also installed RallyArmor front and rear mudflaps to reduce rocks from being kicked up also. Go to their YT channel to see the benefits of this newer film. As for how long the coating will last, no one really knows since it's only been available for just a few years. But the clarity was incredible and nearly indistinguishable from looking at the OEM paint.

As I have detailed all my cars in the past and have a DA orbital buffer and various accessories including clay mitts, de-iron spray, etc , I chose to do the ceramic coating myself with Adam's Advanced Graphene Coating with 9+years of protection. I'd be happy if i get 5 years out of it. Since the care is so new, you don't have to do too much paint correction on it to get it in pristine condition for the coating. Handwashing the car is always best and you should definitely do the 2 bucket method to reduce the likelihood of scratching the clear coat.

 

[beatle]

Since you park in a garage, try a waterless wash to keep it up. I use Wash Wax ALL and it's nice to do it in the relative comfort of a attached garage even if it's not climate controlled. No need to get the hose out, and no water spots.

You can also recoat CQuartz yourself. Expect 1-2 years, even when garaged.

 

[Joey D]

Since you park in a garage, try a waterless wash to keep it up. I use Wash Wax ALL and it's nice to do it in the relative comfort of a attached garage even if it's not climate controlled. No need to get the hose out, and no water spots.

You can also recoat CQuartz yourself. Expect 1-2 years, even when garaged.

I am familiarizing myself with Car Pro's cleaning products: Reset (Standard Wash), Reload (Sealant), ECH20 (Detailer, waterless washer). I have never tried a waterless wash before (nor a "rinseless" wash for that matter), but will consider that possibility.

For winter, I will still want to do undercarriage to get rid of salt, so I'll likely get a pressure washer attachment to do that....but will need to be careful that I don't accidentally hit the rocker panels or bumper with it, which will have PPF.

 

[Kairide]

I self installed Suntek PPF on my Y right after purchase due to its hydrophobic properties. Still looks good one year later. I take mine through the touchless car wash and haven’t had any issues, I wouldn’t be too worried as long as it’s touchless.

 

[Colex]

I Don’t know about ppf much. But I use chemical guys waterless car wash for my weekly cleaning. Works pretty well imo

 

[kpanda17]

OP
You have not come back yet, but looks like you have rhe plan nailed
I did rhe same except for all Xpel
I also did tint all and rhe front clear and not sure which UV ray, but one of them is very much controlled by rhe tint and feels less intense once inside
Good luck

 

[beatle]

I am familiarizing myself with Car Pro's cleaning products: Reset (Standard Wash), Reload (Sealant), ECH20 (Detailer, waterless washer). I have never tried a waterless wash before (nor a "rinseless" wash for that matter), but will consider that possibility.

For winter, I will still want to do undercarriage to get rid of salt, so I'll likely get a pressure washer attachment to do that....but will need to be careful that I don't accidentally hit the rocker panels or bumper with it, which will have PPF.

Reload was a pain to use for little lasting benefit. I tried it once since my CQuartz package came with a little bottle. I didn't bother with Reset as I almost never really washed the car. No need to buy into a company's system. Pick and choose what works best for you.

 

[jay1122]

"regular washing at a local "car wash"."

If the car wash is the automatic kind. You are basically wasting your money. The first thing to avoid is those car washes. The harsh detergent and brush will strip your ceramic coating real fast and produce a lot of swirl marks. Microfiber hand wash is the way to go.

I paint correct and apply ceramic coating myself. Takes 1 day and cost around $100. I never get why anyone would spend thousands on PPF and professional coating on a typical daily car.

 

[kpanda17]

"regular washing at a local "car wash"."

If the car wash is the automatic kind. You are basically wasting your money. The first thing to avoid is those car washes. The harsh detergent and brush will strip your ceramic coating real fast and produce a lot of swirl marks. Microfiber hand wash is the way to go.

I paint correct and apply ceramic coating myself. Takes 1 day and cost around $100. I never get why anyone would spend thousands on PPF and professional coating on a typical daily car.

You have game, I can do ceramic but not PPF
PPF install takes skill

 

[Joey D]

"regular washing at a local "car wash"."

If the car wash is the automatic kind. You are basically wasting your money...

"regular Car Washes" are just fine for cars without special ceramic coatings or PPF. (All my past cars.). Again, this is how I maintained my PRIOR vehicles that had no special paint protection or ceramic coatings.

And to be honest, the paint on my 10 year old Dodge Durango with 150K miles still looks very good. If I could do it all over again with the dodge...I would do nothing different.

I do not anticipate that the paint on the Tesla would hold up as well without protection...hence my desire for PPF (and change in washing habits.)

 

[Joey D]

I picked up the vehicle this morning...very pleased with the results. And just in time....first 2000 mile (round trip) road trip is coming up in a couple weeks.

Greg (and Franciso) over at Signature Detailing (Hillsborough, NJ) were great throughout the entire process. To be clear, Signature Detailing does the PPF and ceramic coating, and they contract out window tinting to someone else who comes in and does it on site. Everything (PPF, tinting, and ceramic coating) turned out great, and the process had no surprises.

Of course...at the end of the day whether or not I would do this again for another vehicle will depend on how the next several years go. But I now have great peace of mind that my paint will have about as much protection as is reasonably possible.

 

[SpicyPaneer]

I picked up the vehicle this morning...very pleased with the results. And just in time....first 2000 mile (round trip) road trip is coming up in a couple weeks.

Greg (and Franciso) over at Signature Detailing (Hillsborough, NJ) were great throughout the entire process. To be clear, Signature Detailing does the PPF and ceramic coating, and they contract out window tinting to someone else who comes in and does it on site. Everything (PPF, tinting, and ceramic coating) turned out great, and the process had no surprises.

Of course...at the end of the day whether or not I would do this again for another vehicle will depend on how the next several years go. But I now have great peace of mind that my paint will have about as much protection as is reasonably possible.

View attachment 960449View attachment 960452

Don’t forget protection from jealous keying vandals too.

 

[Joey D]

Don’t forget protection from jealous keying vandals too.

This is actually somewhat of a concern. Not sure how much could reasonably be done for that. (Will PPF really deter a determined keyer?)

I'm hoping that the fact that my car is garaged at home (not parked on the street) and that I don't park in public parking lots "like my car is special and I need to take up 3 spaces", will lessen the possibility.

 

[bkcyk]

Though I’ve usually covered the front end and cf roof on my rides, I fully ppf’ed my new 2023 MSP from go. My friend forewarned me about the sht Tesla paint, that the rear door and rear quarter panels are xtra susceptible to chipping. Gotta love the 911 like haunches!

XPEL ppf film

XPEL Prime XR Plus tint 70% windshield, 20% everywhere else

Clearplex windshield ppf

Easy peasy.

 

[kpanda17]

Though I’ve usually covered the front end and cf roof on my rides, I fully ppf’ed my new 2023 MSP from go. My friend forewarned me about the sht Tesla paint, that the rear door and rear quarter panels are xtra susceptible to chipping. Gotta love the 911 like haunches!

XPEL ppf film

XPEL Prime XR Plus tint 70% windshield, 20% everywhere else

Clearplex windshield ppf

Easy peasy.

Did rhe same
Xpel is great

 

[DayTrippin]

I used to like Xpel until they changed their warranty this year. One of the key changes was if you use any ceramic coating (other than their mediocre stuff) they can void your warranty. They made other changes I don't like. All my past cars were Xpel and then I switched to Suntek as a result for my MSP.

If you ceramic coat our car, one non-touchless car wash will likely wipe it out. Almost no ceramic coating is going to last more than 2 years, and many won't last a year, without periodic maintenance (reapplication). There are some great YT vids about this. There is a guy in Texas continuously testing multiple products on car hoods that he leaves out in the elements and does an update about every 3 months as to how they are holding up and you can watch how the hydrophobicity is holding up.

As for OP, I would have had them take off the easy parts to wrap under them. Wherever there is an exposed seam, you will have a line of dirt. You just can't get around it. So any seams that can be tucked lessen the visible seams. These are less visible on black cars but get worse from there. On a white car you better have a good installer or you are going to be unhappy in a few months.

Anyone doing a refreshed S should definitely do something where the factory PPF Is on the rear haunches. There is a reason they put that there and it isn't enough. I did my entire car as Tesla has soft paint. It wasn't much more than to just do the front and the ceramic coat the rest of the car. In about a year or two when the PPF is less hydrophobic, I'll ceramic coat the entire car.

Check your install after a week and see if any edges are pulling up. If so take it back and have them trim them ASAP before it gets too bad.

 

[Skrunch]

One of the key changes was if you use any ceramic coating (other than their mediocre stuff) they can void your warranty.

What product for ceramic coating would you consider good (or better) than their stuff?

 

[kpanda17]

My experience
PPF NOT DIY
Good enough spray ceramic DIY
High end liquid ceramic DIY but a lot of steps, need to apply and store in garage for 48 hours in order to cure

Good enough spray ceramic, there seems to be a lot of brands, such as Magic Shield
High end, all seem to agree CQuartz

 

[DayTrippin]

I like CarPro CQuartz too. Most of their products are pretty good. Pick what makes the most sense of what you want to treat.

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